How to Clean Room by Room

Take it from the top, says the musical conductor. It’s also the best way to work through cleaning your home. Follow these steps to work through your home quickly and efficiently:

Start on the top-most floor, cleaning ‘dry’ rooms first and then doing upstairs bathrooms just before you move down the stairs.

Clean the stairs moving downwards.

It’s more effective to stand below on dirty risers and sweep dirt towards you. But if working backwards makes you dizzy – don’t! Always put safety before cleaning perfection.

Do the hall next.

Typically, it’s the dirtiest dry space in the home, so doing it now stops you from traipsing dirt into other rooms. However, be prepared to give it a quick final vacuum when you finish.

Go to living rooms and the dining room.

Dust the highest shelves first, so you get dust that falls onto lower shelves as you clean the upper ones. Dust tables and dining chairs. Plump cushions on the sofa and lounge chairs and check removable cushions for small items that have strayed down the sides: The TV remote is a classic, but you may find less savoury offerings, like food crumbs, coins, and small toys.

Play beat-the-clock to cut the time you spend on each room. Most people work faster when they’re aware of the time. Set a portable kitchen timer for six minutes as you enter the bedroom. When it rings, you’re done.

If you fancy getting competitive, next time set it for five minutes and see if you can achieve the same results. Using a timer has the dual benefit of reinforcing in your mind how quick cleaning can be – a spare five minutes really does count!